I arrived in Auckland at 2:30 AM... ... and was greeted with a welcoming hug at the airport by Leonie, the cousin of my good friends back home, Marjie and Nigel. What a great introduction to New Zealand, a country I've never been to before, but have always wanted to visit. The Kiwis definitely live up to their reputation for being warm and friendly. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, located on the North Island. I spent five relaxing days with Leonie and her boyfriend, Lindsay at their cottage in the rural town of Beachlands, just east of Auckland. Leonie showed me around the Auckland Area, with all of its diversity - from city life to rolling green pastures to ocean beaches and rain forests. ... read more

The Great Ocean Road and Melbourne Australia The most spectacular coastal scenery I've ever laid eyes on is three hours south of Melbourne Australia. And Melbourne is a well-organized city with every kind of international restaurant you could imagine. It's located on the southeast coast of Australia in the State of Victoria...... read more

Sometimes the best scenery is in your own backyard... I'm scheduled to depart for Australia and New Zealand on the 1st of October. My pit stop back in Seattle has been good... I had my third annual MRI (cancer free!) and got to experience one of the most beautiful hikes in the world... The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, which is only a 2-hour drive from my house. My hiking companion, Dave, had been wanting to hike the Wonderland Trail for many years. He is an experienced outdoorsman who knows all the backcountry survival skills that I lack. We completed the entire trail over 2 segments. After 4 and a half days of hiking during the first segment, a storm blew in, forcing us to reschedule the last segment for two weeks later. All in all, ... read more

July 5, 2008: After 500 miles and 35 days of walking, I've finally arrived in Santiago! My feet are very happy about this, and my blisters are healing nicely. I'm staying in the old city near the cathedral for a few days to relax and explore the city. I attended the daily pilgrim mass at the cathedral and watched in amazement as the largest incense burner in the world swung over our heads from a pully above, powered by half a dozen priests pulling on the other end of the rope. The swinging of the giant "botafumeiro" was originally used to fumigate the sweaty pilgrims. Now it looks like they have just as much fun swinging it as we do watching it swing low over our heads and up so high it looks like it will ... read more

Summer has finally arrived in Spain! These are photos of my walk on the Camino after the halfway point from Leon. The scenery has been beautiful, and the rain has finally subsided for awhile.... Almost done! Love, Laura... read more